Electrical connector with wire-gripping means



April 8,1969 .1. E. BEAUDION ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WITH WIRE-GRIFFING MEANS INVENTOR. JbH/v ifimuwom Filed Nov. 15, 1966 United States Patent US. Cl. 339--95 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical connector embodying a pair of wireclamping jaws formed in respective levers hinged together at one end and having tails at their opposite ends, adapted to be separated to open the jaws to receive a conductor wire, and to be brought together and secured to a support and to thereby clamp the wire between the aws.

This invention relates to electrical connectors of the general type disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,118,720 issued Jan. 21, 1964 in the name of Richard L. Schuck and Robert E. Lawlor and US. Patent No. 3,138,422, issued June 23, 1964, in the name of Robert E. Lawlor, wherein a pair of jaw members having respective tai-ls provided with registrable apertures to receive a fastener bolt or screw, are connected for relative rotating movement about an axis transverse to the jaws, such as to effect clamping action of the jaws against a conductor inserted between the jaws, such clamping action being developed by bringing the tails together and fastening them to a support.

The general object of the present invention is to provide improvements in this general type of connector. Specific objects are:

(1) To facilitate the insertion of the end of a conductor between the jaws of the connector.

(2) To reduce the tendency of the jaws to cut through the connector in being clamped thereon.

(3) To provide such a connector in which a springclamping action is developed which maintains constant spring loading on the jaws so as to avoid any possibility of looseness between the jaws and the conductor.

(4) To provide such a connector which can be fabricated quite inexpensively as, for example, from extruded sections.

(5) To provide such a connector having means for adjusting it to conductor wires or cables of varying diameters.

Other objects will become apparent in the ensuing specification and appended drawing wherein: 4

FIG. 1 is a side view of a connector embodying the invention, with its jaws in open position;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the connector with its jaws closed upon a conductor wire;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the same, closed but with the I conductor omitted;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the underneath jaw thereof;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of another modified form of the invention with the jaws closed on a conductor and attached to a support;

FIG. 7 is an end View of the same with the jaws closed but the conductor omitted;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the same with the jaws open;

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of another form of the invention closed on a conductor and secured to a support;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the same with the jaws open and the top jaw partially broken away and shown in section; and

FIG. 11 is an end view of the same with the jaws open and partially broken away and shown in section.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIG. 1, I have shown therein, as an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, an electrical connector comprising an under section A and a top section B hinged together at one end for clamping of a cable C (FIG. 2) between their respective jaws when attached to a support D by a fastener bolt or screw E.

Under section A comprises a jaw portion 10 of yoke or channel form including a flat web 11 and respective legs 12 and 13 extending downwardly from respective sides thereof; and a tail lever 14 extending in a plane parallel to that of web 11 but offset downwardly therefrom by the leg 13 to which it is joined. Formed integrally in the upper face of web 11 are parallel, transversely extending teeth 15. In the tail 14, near one end of the section A, is a bolt hole 16. Projecting from the leg 12 at the other end of the section A is a hinge lug 17 which is of less width than the leg 12 and in centered relation thereto (FIG. 3).

The section B comprises a yoke-shaped jaw portion 18 consisting of a flat web 19 and a pair of legs 20 and 21 extending therefrom in diverging relation such as to embrace the legs 12 and 13 of jaw 10 when the jaws are closed. Web 20 is bifurcated (FIG. 3), defining a slot 22 the lower portion of which receives the lug 17 and upper portion of which is defined by a semi-circular lip for clamping engagement with the conductor C. The leg 21 is provided with an aperture 23 adapted to receive the end of the conductor C. Projecting from the lower end of leg 21 is an integral tail lever 24 having a bolt hole 25 adapted to register with the bolt hole 16.

A hinge pin 26 is extended through registering transverse bores in the ends of the furcations of leg 20 and in the lug 17 so as to provide a hinged fulcrum connec tion between the legs 12 and 20 of the respective connector sections A and B. When the sections A and B are spread as in FIG. 1 to open the jaws 10, 18, a conductor wire can be readily inserted through the slot 22 and the aperture 23 so as to be held in opposed relation to the key 15 of the lower jaw 10; and by bringing the tail lever 24 down against the tail lever 14 the jaws will close so as to clamp the conductor C between the jaws 18, 10 causing the teeth 15 to become embedded in the lower side of the conductor C as indicated in FIG. 2. The closing of the jaws is effected by placing the lower tail lever 14 against a support D, inserting a fastener screw or bolt B through the registering apertures 16, 25, and using the screw or bolt E to draw the-tail lever 24 down against the tail lever 14.

The hinge pin 26 is spaced away from the jaws 10, 18 sufiiciently so that the jaws can spring apart slightly under the compression developed in the conductor C by the deformation thereof, and the connector sections A, B are of suflicient resilience to permit a small amount of flexing yielding action. Thus a spring load is imposed upon the conductor C when the jaws are fully closed as in FIG. 2, which will maintain constant pressure of the jaws against the conductor C and thus maintain an excellent electrical connection. At the same time the rounded surfaces of the teeth 15, while effective to indent the. conductor C, will not cut into the conductor and thus will not weaken its strength factor in sustaining any tension loads that are imposed on the conductor when connected to the support D.

The connector sections A, B can be fabricated relatively inexpensively from extruded sections of suitable metal such as aluminum or brass, and by shearing off sections of satisfactory width of the extruded material. The connector sections can then be finished by machining operations in which corners of the section A are milled away to leave the lug 17, and in which the apertures 16, 25 and 23 are bored and the slot 21 milled out from the leg 20.

FIG. 5 illusttrates a modified form of the invention wherein the section A1 has a jaw 110 provided in the en thereof with a transverse hinge socket 112 in the form of a substantially semi-cylindrical channel of somewhat more than 180 degrees circumferential extent; and wherein the upper jaw 118 of section B1 has, on the end of its leg 120, an inturned flange terminating in a cylindrical, transversely extending hinge knuckle 126 which is rotatably caged in the socket 112 to provide a fulcrum connection between sections A1, B1. Legs 120 and 121 of jaw 118 are provided with aligned apertures 122 and 123 to receive a conductor, the teeth of jaw 110 projecting into the cylindrical space jointly defined by apertures 122 and 123 so as to become embedded in the conductor when the jaws are closed as in FIG. 5. The sections A1 and B1 of FIG. 5 can be fabricated by slicing off selected widths from extruded sections and by then boring the bolt holes and 16 in the tails 24 and 14 and the apertures 122 and 123 in jaw 118. The parts are assembled simply by sliding the hinge knuckle 126 into the socket 112 by relative transverse movement of sections A1, B1, and are held together by staking a portion of socket 112 into a slot 127 cut in the bottom of hinge knuckle 126.

FIGS. 6-8 disclose another modified form of the invention wherein the sections A2, B2 can be fabricated by slicing oft pieces of selected widths from extruded sections and then milling fastener screw slots 215 in the respective tail levers 224, 214 and drilling a single pair of apertures 222, 223 in the jaw 218. This connector further differs from those previously described in that the jaws 210, 218 are of dihedral angular V form, the apex of the jaw 210 providing a single tooth 215 for indenting the conductor C on one side, thus clamping the opposite side against the upper edges of apertures 222, 223. The fulcruming connection between the connector sections is similar to that of FIG. 5, a cylindrical knuckle 217 being formed transversely on the end of section A2 and being socketed in a cylindrical channel socket 226 on the end of section B2. Sections A2, B2 are held together by staking a portion of socket 226 into a slot 227 in knuckle 217.

FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 disclose a further modified form of the invention wherein means is provided for adjusting the connector to conductors of varying diameters or up to three conductors in one clamp. The section A3 comprises a tail lever 314, a jaw 310 of dihedral angular form including a leg 312 from which an integral fulcrum lug 317 projects, the lug 317 having in its opposite sides, respective fulcrum recesses of E-shape (FIG. 9) including a plurality of vertically-spaced pairs of laterallyopposed pivot recesses 31 communicating with a connecting passage 32. Connector section B3 comprise a tail lever 324 and a jaw 318 of dihedral angular form including a bifurcated leg 320 having pivot pins 326 secured in the ends of its furcations and projecting into the E-recesses 30. The pins 326 can be shifted from any pair of the pivot recesses 31 into the connecting passage 32 and thence to another pair of the recesses 31 so as to adjust the opposed spacing between the jaws 310, 318. FIG. 9 illustrates the position of maximum separation of the jaws, provided for positioning the pins 326 in the uppermost pair of pivot recesses 31 as indicated in FIG. 10. Two additional positions of adjustment are provided for by positioning the pins 326 in either the pair or intermediate recesses 31 or the pair of lower recesses 31, providing for successively closer spacing of the jaws, to receive conductors of successively smaller diameter or three separate conductors of small diameter. A plurality of shims 33 are employed for adjusting the spacing of the tails 314, 324 to the spacing of the jaws 310, 318, so

that in all positions of adjustment the connector can be clamped to the conductor and attached to a support D gth a parallel relation existing between the sections A3,

The jaw 318 is provided with a plurality of parallel, longitudinally extending teeth 34 bridging between the aperture 322, 323 which receive the conductor C and adapted to become embedded in the conductor in lohgitudll'lilly texiinding depressions therein (FIG. 9) at right ang es 0 e transverse de ression for 315 ofjaw 310. p med by the tooth Between the teeth 34 are defined grooves in which three small conductors can be positioned in side-by-side parallel relation while being clamped across the trahsverse tooth 315.

I It may be noted that in each form of the invention, the h1nge connections between the connector sections at one end hes substantially in a common plane with the tail lever of one of the sections and that the jaws are offset upwardly from this plane so that the conductor can extend lnto the jaw above the hinge connections.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector comprising a pair of connector sections each including a tail lever at one end and a hinge element at the opposite end and disposed substantially in a common plane with the tail lever, and a jaw d sposed between the tail lever and the hinge element, said hinge elements being coupled to provide a fulcrum hinge about which said jaws can be swung in opening and closmg movements, said jaws projecting upwardly above said tail levers and hinge elements, the jaw of the upper connector section being of yoke form including a pair of legs spaced lengthwise of the connector and having in said legs respective apertures through which the conductor can be extended and engaged between said jaws upon bringing sald tail levers together, said tail levers having means for attaching them to a support; the jaw of the lower connector section having a transverse tooth adapted to b embedded in the under side of said conductor and to clamp the latter upwardly against the portion of the jaw of the upper section at the upper extremities of the apertures therein; the legs of the upper connector section being arranged in dihedral-angular relation, converging upwardly from the tail lever and the hinge element respectively of said upper section and positioned to embrace the aw of the lower section when the jaws are closed; and the lower jaw having in its apex a plurality of longitudinally-spaced, transversely extending teeth projecting toward the upper jaw, the latter having a flat web bridgingflbetween its said legs and in opposed relation to said 2. A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein said hinge elements comprise a lug projecting longitudinally from the lower jaw and having a transverse bore, the adacent leg of said upper jaw comprising a pair of furcations embracing said lug and having bores aligned with said lug bore, and a hinge pin extending through said bores and connecting said lug to said furcations.

3. A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein said jaws are both of dihedral-angular V form, the lower jaw being embraced between the legs of the upper jaw when the jaws are closed, and wherein said lower jaw has at its apex a single transverse tooth adapted to be embedded in the underside of said conductor and to clamp the latter upwardly against the portion of the jaw of th upper section at the upper extremities of the apertures therein.

4. A connector as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower jaw is of dihedral-angular V form having a single transverse tooth at its apex, and wherein said upper jaw has an apex portion provided on its underside with a plurality of laterally-spaced teeth extending longitudinally between the apertures of its legs and intersecting the upper sides of said apertures.

5. An electrical connector comprising a pair of connector sections each including a tail lever at one end and a hinge element at the opposite end and disposed substantially in a common plane with the tail lever, and a jaw disposed between the tail lever and the hinge element, said hinge elements being coupled to provide a fulcrum hinge about which said jaws can be swung in opening and closing movements, said jaws projecting upwardly above said tail levers and binge elements, the jaw of the upper connector section being of yoke form including a pair of legs spaced lengthwise of the connector and having in said legs respective apertures through which the conductor can be extended and engaged between said jaws upon bringing said tail levers together, said tail levers having means for attaching them to a support; the legs of the upper connector section being arranged in dihedral-angular relation, converging upwardly from the tail lever and the hinge element respectively of said upper section and positioned to embrace the jaw of the lower section when the jaws are closed, the lower jaw having in its apex a plurality of longitudinally-spaced, transversely extending teeth projecting toward the upper jaw, the latter having a flat web bridging between its said legs and in opposed relation to said teeth and parallel to the plane thereof, and said hinge elements consisting of a transverse integral semi-cylindrical channel of more than 180 circumference of the end of the lower jaw, and a cylindrical knuckle on the outer leg of the upper jaw, socketed in said channel, the upper jaw having a reentrant arm integrally joining said knuckle to said outer leg.

6. An electrical connector comprising a pair of connector sections each including a tail lever at one end and a hinge element at the opposite end and disposed substantially in a common plane with the tail lever, and a jaw disposed between the tail lever and the hinge element, said hinge elements being coupled to provide a fulcrum hinge about which said jaws can be swung in opening and closing movements, said jaws projecting upwardly above said tail levers and hinge elements, the jaw of the upper connector section being of yoke form including a pair of legs spaced lengthwise of the connector and having in said legs respective apertures through which the conductor can be extended and engaged between said jaws upon bringing said tail levers together, said tail levers having means for attaching them to a support; said jaws being both of dihedral-angular V form, the lower jaw being embraced between the legs of the upper jaw when the jaws are closed, and said lower jaw having at its apex a single transverse tooth adapted to be embedded in the under side of said conductor and to clamp the latter upwardly against the portion of the jaw of the upper section at the upper extremities of the apertures therein, said hinge elements consisting of a transverse cylindrical knuckle on the end of the lower connector section and a transverse semi-cylindrical channel of more than circumference, on the end of the outer leg of the upper jaw, in which said knuckle is socketed.

7. An electrical connector comprising a pair of connector sections each including a tail lever at one end and a hinge element at the opposite end and disposed substantially in a common plane with the tail lever, and a jaw disposed between the tail lever and the hinge element, said hinge elements being coupled to provide a fulcrum hinge about which said jaws can be swung in opening and closing movements, said jaws projecting upwardly above said tail levers and hinge elements, the jaw of the upper connector section being of yoke form including a pair of legs spaced lengthwise of the connector and having in said legs respective apertures through which the conductor can be extended and engaged between said jaws upon bringing said tail levers together, said tail levers having means for attaching them to a support; said hinge elements comprising a lug projecting from the lower jaw at the end of the lower connector section, said lug having, in respective sides thereof, E slots providing a plurality of verticallyspaced pairs of opposed hinge sockets and vertical pas sages connecting the sockets of each E-slot, the outer leg of the upper jaw comprising laterally-spaced furcations embracing said lug, and opposed, aligned hinge pins secured in said furcations, extending into said E-slots, and selectively engageable in said pairs of sockets to provide hinge connections between said sections at selected spacings between the sections.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,955,283 4/ 1934 Goetzelman. 2,228,344 1/ 1941 Demeo 339266 X 3,169,818 2/1965 Tracy 339-266 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,034,490 4/1953 France.

329,075 11/1920 Germany. 703,232 3/ 1941 Germany. 180,802 6/ 1922 Great Britain.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

PERRY TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

